Advertisement

80-year-old mountaineer oldest to top Everest

An 80-year-old Japanese mountaineer has become the oldest man to reach the top of Mount Everest.

Yuichiro Miura pictured in April. Credit: Reuters

Yuichiro Miura, who also conquered the 29,035-foot (8,850m) peak when he was 70 and 75, reached the summit at 9:05 a.m. local time Thursday, according to his support team. Miura and his son Gota called them from the summit to report the news.

"This is the world's best feeling," Miura said. "I'm also totally exhausted."

The previous oldest man to reach the summit was Nepal's Min Bahadur Sherchan, who accomplished the feat at age 76 in 2008, just a day before Miura reached the top at age 75.

Sherchan, now 81, is preparing for his own attempt on the summit next week, meaning Miura's record may not last long.